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The Effects of a Ketogenic Diet and Physical Activity on Adipose Tissue Characteristics
Author(s) -
Holland A. Maleah,
Kephart Wesley C.,
Mumford Petey W,
Lowery Ryan P,
Mobley C. Brooks,
Healy James,
Shake Joshua J,
Patel Romil K,
Roberts Michael D.,
Wilson Jacob M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.lb223
Subject(s) - ketogenic diet , medicine , endocrinology , adipose tissue , carbohydrate , adipocyte , sed , immunohistochemistry , thermogenin , chemistry , thermogenesis , psychiatry , epilepsy
Very low‐carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets are becoming increasingly popular as weight loss interventions. This study examined the effects of ketogenic (KD), Western (WD), and standard chow (SC) control diets in sedentary (SED) and physically active (EX) rats on adipocyte size and beiging in three fat depots. METHODS Male Sprague‐Dawley rats (~9–10 weeks of age) were provided isocaloric amounts of either a KD (5.2 kcal/g, 20.2% protein, 10.3% carbohydrate, 69.5% fat; n=50), WD (4.5 kcal/g, 15.2% protein, 42.7% carbohydrate, 42.0% fat; n=66), or SC (3.1 kcal/g, 24.0% protein, 58.0% carbohydrate, 18.0% fat n=10) for 6 weeks with daily food intake and body weights recorded. EX rats were provided a voluntary resistance running wheel and daily distances ran were recorded. After the animals were sacrificed, three fat depots including omental (OMAT), inguinal subcutaneous (SQ), and brown adipose tissue (BAT) were weighed and preserved for histological analyses which included H&E staining to determine adipocyte size and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for uncoupling protein‐1 (UCP‐1) protein quantification as a beiging characteristic. RESULTS OMAT absolute mass was greater in WD than KD (1.39 ± 0.15 g vs 0.73 ± 1.09 g, respectively, p < 0.001) and greater in SED than EX (1.24 ± 0.11 g vs 0.81 ± 0.07 g, respectively, p < 0.005); relative mass was greater in WD than KD (2.79 ± 0.28 mg/g vs 0.73 ± 0.09 mg/g, respectively, p < 0.001) and greater in SED than EX (2.62 ± 0.20 g vs 1.77 ± 0.15 g, respectively, p < 0.005); and average adipocyte diameter was greater in WD and SC than KD (57.23 ± 2.46 um and 56.36 ± 2.74 um vs 44.38 ± 1.44 um, p < 0.005 and p < 0.01, respectively). SQ absolute mass was greater in WD than KD (6.44 ± 0.60 g vs 4.12 ± 0.41 g, respectively, p < 0.001) but there were no differences in SQ relative mass or adipocyte diameter. In BAT, absolute mass was greater in WD than KD (0.67 ± 0.04 g vs 0.54 ± 0.03 g, respectively, p < 0.05) and greater in SED than EX (1.42 ± 0.06 g vs 1.21 ± 0.05 g, respectively, p < 0.01) but there were no differences in relative mass. BAT average adipocyte diameter was greater in WD than SC (21.89 ± 0.95 um vs 18.21 ± 0.77 um, respectively, p < 0.01). Regarding UCP‐1 IHC, greater expression was observed in the OMAT and BAT of EX than SED (OMAT: 30.99 ± 1.28 % vs 27.65 ± 1.05 %, respectively, p < 0.05; and BAT: 62.98 ± 2.20 % vs 46.96 ± 1.67 %, respectively, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION These rodent data suggest that a ketogenic diet and exercise, independently, are favorable for reducing adipose tissue and cell size. However, exercise appears to enhance adipose tissue beiging in OMAT and BAT independent of diet.